Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League professional soccer club Persepolis has been left to rue the missed golden opportunity to register a three-point win over Lekhwiya of Qatar at the 2017 AFC Champions League Round of 16 after the sides ended scoreless in the first-leg.

On Tuesday, the Iranian soccer players started the first half of the game played at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium in a dominant fashion but without spectators.

Midfielder Farshad Ahmadzadeh and 24-year-old skipper Mehdi Taremi had two good chances to put the ball at the back of the net and establish a commanding lead early in the match, but failed to score.

Persepolis then retreated, giving their Qatari counterparts the leeway to press forward and threaten the hosts’ goal. Luiz Junior’s fizzing effort from distance struck the post on the 15th minute but all to no avail.

The Iranian soccer players regained the lead only a few minutes later, and provided midfielder Mohsen Mosalman an opportunity to net the opener; but he simply squandered it.

The photo shows a view of the 2017 AFC Champions League Round of 16 match between Persepolis Football Club (players in red) and Lekhwiya of Qatar at Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran, on May 23, 2017.

Persepolis players increased momentum after the restart, and rolled the ball towards the visitors’ post. They, however, could not produce a goal as one shot after another sailed high or wide.

With 10 minutes remaining, Persepolis was given the perfect opportunity to win it when Ali Afif nudged Taremi in the penalty area.

The Lekhwiya custodian then made another save, when he got down low to deny Vahid Amiri from close range with four minutes to play.

The photo shows a view of the 2017 AFC Champions League Round of 16 match between Iran’s Esteghlal Khuzestan (players in blue) and Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal at the multi-use Seeb Sports Stadium in Seeb, Oman, on May 23, 2017.

In another match of the day, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal notched up a 2-1 win over Iranian football club Esteghlal Melli-Sanati Khuzestan Football Club, commonly known as Esteghlal Khuzestan.

Hassan Beit Saeid gave the Iranian team the lead three minutes before the halftime break.

Al Hilal then came back from going a goal behind, and Abdullah Al Dossary and Carlos Eduardo scored two goals to earn the Saudi club an advantage ahead of the second-leg.